The present invention generally relates to electrical connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to placing electrical components into connectors.
Since the 1960""s, the trend in surface mount technology has been smaller, faster and cheaper. The trend in the growth of memory chip performance, in particular, had been that each new chips contained roughly twice as much capacity as its predecessor, and each chip was released within 18 to 24 months of the previous chip. As this trend continued, computing power rose exponentially. Further, while computing speed increased, the cost of transistors has plummeted some ten million fold in the last 40 years. Few other industries can claim a similar cost improvement, particularly over such a short time.
The major reason for such innovation is that by making smaller components, performance and cost get better simultaneously. By making smaller components, more components can be packed onto a given area of the silicon. This trend remains remarkably accurate. However, people have been wondering when the trend in increasing the performance of memory chips will slow. This concern becomes a reality in the age of 0.10 xcexc technology because the insulating oxide layers are exceedingly thin and have breakdown voltages as low as several volts.
Another problem arises in the manufacturing of these microcircuits. Currently, silicon technology is capable of attaining feature sizes of 0.13 xcexc. Using a deep ultraviolet lithography technique, circuits can be printed as small as 0.10 xcexc. Because 0.13 xcexctechnology already is under production, a 0.10 xcexclimit is expected to be reached around 2004 to 2005. The problem arises in that images cannot be made much smaller than the wavelength of the light used to make the images. Circuits less than 0.10 xcexcmay be impossible given the current manufacturing technology. Efforts are underway, however, to develop an apparatus and process that uses x-ray lithography, which has a shorter wavelength so that circuits as small as 0.03 xcexccan be produced.
Of course, in this field there are different means to the same end. It is likely that more and more of the breakthroughs will come from the area of packaging rather than silicon design. It is known that packages that house the silicon reduce the performance of the chips. Undesired leads (outside the package) and bond wires (inside the package) produce inductance and capacitance that distort and delay signal propagation and interfere with data transmission. Additionally, circuit board traces that connect different silicon packages contribute parasitic effects that can further degrade performance.
The challenge for engineers in component packaging and printed circuit assembly in lies in enhancing package and printed circuit board (xe2x80x9cPCBxe2x80x9d) performance to improve silicon performance. To achieve the highest performance, the package is removed and bare silicon is used. The terms used for mounting bare silicon are chip-on-board (xe2x80x9cCOBxe2x80x9d), flip chip and direct chip attach (xe2x80x9cDCAxe2x80x9d). Each term represents a different process. With any of these chip scale processes, traditionally copper clad PCB""s will have to be adapted to accommodate the fine lines and microvias needed for interconnecting high-pin count and lower pitch packages (or bare silicon). The PCB assembly industry will have to build boards with finer features and smaller vias in a cost-effective manner.
One primary concern for packaging and board layout engineers is flexibility. Adapting a PCB to improve silicon, performance is likely to be impeded by electronic components on the PCB that are required for the proper functioning of the circuit. These components may, for example, be for filtering, DC blocking, fusing, over-voltage protection, transmission line termination, etc.
It is therefore desirable and will become increasingly more desirable to provide an apparatus and method for reducing the board space required for these electronic components so that they will not impede PCB improvements, which will require tighter and tighter spacing. Furthermore, it is always desirable, for cost and reliability purposes, to reduce the number of components that are required to be mounted to the PCB.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for incorporating components into connectors. The components of the present invention may be surface mount components, in which case board space is conserved because the components mounted inside the connectors would otherwise have to be mounted elsewhere on the PCB. The connectors of the present invention may also attach to a suitable cable, in which case board space is conserved because the components mounted inside the connector are eliminated from having to be mounted to the PCB altogether.
To this end, in an embodiment, an apparatus that houses a printed circuit board having a surface mount component is provided. The apparatus includes a body. A plurality of leads are fixed to the body so that an external electrical device is enabled to electrically communicate with the leads. A conductive clip extends from each lead and receives an end of a printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the body is plastic.
In an embodiment, the body defines a guide that guides and supports the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the body defines a locking device that retains the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the locking device is a snap-fit device.
In an embodiment, the clip has ends that receive the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the clip includes solder that reflows to a conductive trace on the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the body is a body of an RJ-45 connector.
In an embodiment, the body is a body of a Universal Serial Bus connector.
In an embodiment, the body is adapted to be surface mounted.
In an embodiment, the body is adapted to be attached to a cable.
In an embodiment, the body is adapted to be through-hole mounted.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a connector is provided. The connector includes a body. A number of leads are fixed to the body so that an external electrical device can electrically communicate with the leads. A conductive clip extends from at least one of the leads. The clips receive a printed circuit board. An electrical component is soldered to the board. A conductive trace is formed on the board. The trace electrically communicates with the electrical component and the clips.
In an embodiment, the electrical component is an overvoltage protection device.
In an embodiment, the electrical component is an overcurrent protection device.
In an embodiment, the electrical component is a filtering device.
In an embodiment, the electrical component is a fuse.
In an embodiment, the conductive clip is a first conductive clip and the electrical component is a first electrical component, the connector further includes a second conductive clip that extends from another one of the leads and is in contact with the printed circuit board. Conductive traces are formed on the printed circuit board and electrically communicate with the second electrical component and the second clip.
In an embodiment, the first electrical component electrically communicates with
In a further embodiment of the present invention a connector is provided. The connector at includes a body and number of leads fixed to the body so that an external electrical device can electrically communicate with the leads. Conductive clips extend from the plurality of leads. A printed circuit board is received by the conductive clips. An electrical component and a conductive trace are provided on the printed circuit board. The conductive trace electrically communicates with the electrical component and the conductive clips.
In a further embodiment of the present invention a method of making a connector is provided. The method includes providing a body and preparing a number of leads so that each lead has an extending conductive clip. The leads terminate so that an external electrical device is enabled to electrically communicate with the leads. The method includes preparing a printed circuit board having a surface mount component and conductive traces that electrically communicate with the component. The method also includes inserting the printed circuit board into the clips so that the traces electrically communicate with the clips.
In an embodiment, the step of providing the body includes molding a plastic body to include a guide and a locking device for the board.
In an embodiment, the step of preparing the body includes inserting continuous strips of clip bearing leads into the body and stamping the strips so that the body and a set of secured strips comes free.
In an embodiment, the step of preparing the printed circuit board includes forming the traces onto the board, placing solder paste onto solder pads defined by the traces and placing the component onto the solder paste.
In an embodiment, preparing the board includes populating components for a plurality of boards on a single piece of substrate and separating the piece into individual boards.
In an embodiment, inserting the board into the clips of the body includes locking the board to the body.
In an embodiment, the method includes the step of reflowing the body and the board so that solder adhered to the clips secures electrical communication between the leads of the body and the traces of the board.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a body for a connector that is adapted to receive a daughter PCB board with one or more components that would otherwise have to be mounted to the main PCB.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for easily installing the daughter PCB into the connector body.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for reducing the number of components that a board assembler has to solder to the main PCB.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that is adaptable to include many known connector types and configurations.